Terminal valve



Sept. 9, 1930. w E sNYDER' v 1,775,625

TERMINAL VALVE l Find April 29, 1927 z shuts-sheet 1 Sept. 9, 1930. w E.sNYDER 1,775,625

TERMINAL VALVE n Filed April 29, 1927 z shuts-shun 2 uumllmueun/Z;

aww/nto@ Patented Sept. 9', 1930 UNITED-STATES PATENT OFFICE 7 W EARL'SNYDEIM 0F NORWOOB, OHIO, ASS1GNOR` T()` THE EDNA BRASS MANUFAC`-TURING COMPANY, OFNCINCVINNATI, OHIO, CORPORATION OF OHIO TERMINAL VALVEApplication mea Aprn as,

Y operated check valvesfor injecting lubricant into a chamber containingpressure' referred toin the trade as a terminal valve, particularly usedin connection l'with force feed lubrcator systems for locomotive enginecylinders and valve Chambers. i

VAn object of the invention is toprovide a check valve, diaphragmmounted, so as to l be operated and controlled bythe pressure of thelubricant in a chamber atY one side of the diaphragm and opposingly vbyAthe pressure of the fluid in a chamber at the opposite side of thediaphragm and arranged v that the pressure in the lubricant chamber mustbe raised to a point slightly in excessief the steam pressure in thecylinder or chamber to which the lubricant is to be delivered so thatthe lubricant will be forcedor injected into the chamber containingpressure.V The use of the pressure of steam and lubricant in relativelyopposing sides of the diaphragm for operating and controlling the valveuniformly distributes the pressure onV the diaphragm surfaces avoidingVunduly Vstraining the diaphragm. In the types of terminal valves inwhich a spring is used as acounter pressure to the lubricant pressurefor seating the valve under the predetermined pressure in Vexcess vofthe maximum steam'pressure any variation in steam pressure has noinfluence `on the fvalve.. The parts under such condition are-i lalwaysunder a maximum strain and the Vpressure of the lubricant must always beraised to a pre-determined degree for its discharge While in the presentinstance the pressuredegrees vary with the working requirements orvariation of steam pressure. The lower the werking pressure the lesswear on the force pump ,delivering the oil to the valve as when thelocomotive 'is drifting. The rpressure the force feed pump worksagainst, varies with thev steam pressure thusv Y producing constantvariation in pressure be.-1

tween steam and oil. The lubricant can be 1927. f serial No. 187,581.

deliveredto the steam cylinder under a pressure below the maximumboilerpressure as when the locomotive is not using steam as the excesspressure in oil chamber of the valve is vented into the valve chambers`or cylinders of the engine atthe time most needed. Many otheradvantages will be more readily apparent from the description oftheaccompanying drawings showing the preferred embodiments of theinvention, in which: y

Figure l represents a central vertical section through Athel improvedterminal check valve for ferce feeding lubricator systems.

Figure `2 is a central `section through a modified form 0f Yvalve inwhich kdifferential diaphragms are employed for mounting, the needlevalve.` *l l The valve primarily is utilizedin connection with' forcefeed lubricator rsystems ofloco motive engine cylinders or steam chestsfor periodically injecting the lubricant into'the cylinder `or chambercontaining pressure. In the ,system an oil pump operated either by theengine or a suitable partV of the mora blev machinery conveys and forcesthe lubricant into avchamber of the valve wherein it is heldagainstdischarge until itreaches a pre-determined pressure which is greaterthan the steam pressure inthe cylinder or chamber to be lubricated.After the lubrican-trin the valve chamber reaches a pressure in excessof the steam pressure, the valve is automatically opened and the oilkdis-v charged through aV restricted port into the steam cylinder. Theopening of the valve and the discharge of the lubricant effectssufficient relief in the valve chamber so as to. cause a' differentialin the pressure to re# verse the conditions, vallowing the valve toagain be automatic-ally closed. Valves of this character are in generalc'ommercial'use uponlocom'oti've engines `although in the prevailingtype of terminal valve employed the lubricant controlling means is noteffected-by the 4steam pressure of the part to be lubri` cated, so thatany variation in steam pressure in the cylinder or steam chest does nothave any influence upon the operation of the valve, the valve mechanismbeing definitely set to operate at a pre-determined lubrieant pressurewhich of course exceeds that of the steam pressure so that thedischarged lubricant is forced into the steam cylinder when the valve isopen.

In the present invention, the lubricant controlling valve in normaloperation is governed by the pressure of steam in the engine cylinder sothat the valve will open at varying pressures governed by the degree ofpressure in the steam cylinder. Such control is of advantage as itenables a variation in the supply of lubricant delivered by a change intiming or periodicity of operation. The oil pump is usually operatedunder varying conditions governed by the rate of travel of thelocomotive, which traveling conditions to a degree result in causing achange in steam pressure, as for instance in going up and down grades,or where it is desirable to change the timing of the valve so that theoil discharge intervals are variable to more accurately satisfy therequirements.

Referring to the drawings, l indicates the body of the valve of T-designproviding a lower verticalthreaded nipple extension 2 for connecting thevalve into an opening in the engine cylinder or steam or pressurechamber to be lubricated and the oppositely disposed nipple extensions3, 1, the nipple 3 for making the lubricant supply connection which isprovided with a passage 3A communicating with the oil chamber 5centrally within the valve body and the second nipple l for making anauxiliary steam connection connecting with the boiler supplying theengine cylinder. The nipple el is provided with a passage 4Acommunicating with a passage 6 which leads downwardly and centrally ofthe body for communicating with the steam cylinder and with a passage 7and valve control port 8 formed in the removable valve seat bushing 9,the lubricant passing from the lubricant chamber 5 through said valvecontrol port 8 into the passages 7 and 6 when the needle valve l0 isopen.

The needle valve 10 is slidably mounted within a guided follower 12 bymeans of a flanged bushing 13 screw threaded into the lower end of thefollower 12. The stem of the valve extends through a bore in thebushing, the bushing being counterbored at the head end of the valve toreceive a compression spring 14 engaging with the head of the valve. Thespring normally holds the stem within a retracted position within thefollower and is yieldingly mounted so as not to be abruptly unseated.The valve, however, may be rigidly mounted in place.

The follower is fixed to one side of a diaphragm 15, the diaphragmproviding a closure for the oil chamber 5 and is secured to thefollower,` by the flanged end of the bushing 13. The diaphragmmarginally seats upon an annular shoulder 16 formed in the valve body 1and is engaged and held secure by a collar 17 screw threaded into thebody, the collar centrally being counter-bored for guidingly sustainingthe follower 12. The follower at its lower end is annularly flanged toprovide a shoulder against which a spring 18 bears, the spring beingdisposed about the follower within the bore of the collar 16 and is thushoused between the follower and collar and functions to apply a valveseating pressure. The valve body internally is annularly grooved abovethe diaphragm seating shoulder 16 to provide an annular parsage 19communicating with a branch of passage 6 lay-passing` the lubricantchamber 5 so that the upper side of the diaphragm 15 is subject to thepressure of the steam from the steam cylinder to which the valveconnects, augmented by the force of the spring 18 to close the valve 10in opposition to the oil pressure in the chamber 5, the spring 18supplying a predetermined excess pressure above the prevailing steampressure, so that the pressure of the lubricant in the chamber mustexceed the maximum back pressure from the cylinder before the valveopens. The prevailing pressure acts against either of the opposite sidesof the diaphragm controlling the direction of movement of the diaphragmfor automatically opening and closing the valve, the spring 18 supplyingthe necessary excess pressure over the steam pressure, so that thecombined pressure of the steam and spring must be overcome by the oilpressure in the oil chamber before the valve is opened and under suchoil pressure the oil will be forced into the cylinder against thecylinder back pressure when the valve is opened.

A second diaphragm 2O seats against the annular upper edge of the valvebody and is held secure by a tubular bonnet hub end 21 screw-threadedupon the body. The diaphragms and 2O are thus suitably spaced apart toprovide a steam chamber within the body against the oil chamber with thecollar and valve follower disposed in the chamber. The diaphragm is ofincreased diameter over the diaphragm 15 and therefore exposes a greaterarea to the pressure in the steam chamber 23 and under the steam pressurit is deflected upwardly against the follower or abutment 24 slidinglysupported in the bonnet for relieving the valve follower of the pressureof a spring 95 within the bonnet, one end of the spring 25 engaging intothe follower 2l and the opposite end against an adj Listing screw orplug 26 screwthreaded into the upper end of the bonnet, the spring 25being provided for applying a determined pressure against the valvefollower to close the valve and maintain the same closed when the steampressure is cut oli to the chamber 23 as when the engine is idle. Thespring 25 being primarily employed for applying a determined valveclosing pressure when the engine is idle does not apply any pressureupon the valve when the terminal valve is in opera` tion'.

ln the modification shown in Figure .2, the valve follower is secured toa pair of diaphragme and the needle valve is rigidly se cured to thefollower. The valve follower. is secured to a diaphragm l5 engagedagainst an annular shoulder in the valve body, the diaphragm forming aclosure for the oil chamber 5, and is held secure by an annulus 27, itsunderside engaging upon the diaphragm while the opposite side is inengagement with a diaphragm 28 secured in position by a collar orlock-nut 29, screw-threaded Within body. The upper face of the diaphragm28, is exposed to the pressure of the steam within the steam chamber 23,and exposes a greater area to the pressure of the steam than thediaphragm l5, to the pressure of the lubricant in tne oil chamber andthis differential capacity necessitates raising the lubricant pressureto a point in excess to the steampressure in the cylinder before thevalve is opened. The. vdiiierential diaphragme thus operate similar tothe form shown in Figure l, in which a single diaphragm is employed witha spring, supplying the determined excess pressure, and for the presentpurposes the one may be treated as the equivalentof the other.

A second annulus 32 is disposed between the diaphragme 15--28concentrically within the annulus 2T providing a filler compressinglyclamping the iollower busher parts to the diaphragm. The annuli aremarginally tapered toward their meeting line to allow for the necessarydiaphragm movement and relieve the diaphragm from engagement with theedges of the annuli which would tend to rupture trie diaphragm metal.

In the form shown on Figure 2, the'discharge passage is shown asprovided with a choke plug 30, having a T shaped passage 31. Thisprovides means Jfor further restricting the communication betweenv thevalve and the steam cylinder.v The bonnet as shown is provided with cap33, screw threaded upon theplug 26, for guarding the plug, necessitatingthe removal of the cap before a plug adjustment can be made, so that theoperator is not tempted to malte unnecessary adjustments, the springbeing usually adjusted for a delinite tension and working pressure atthe time of installation of the valve.

As shown in the drawing, the valve is in its closed position and theparts occupying a position as will be the case when the locomotiveengine is idle with no steam pressure in the steam chamber 23. As soonas a pressure in the steam chamber reaches a degree suiiicient tomoverthe diaphragm QO'the spring 25 will be correspondingly compressedso that it will have no infiuence uponA thevalve `follower 12. f Thediaphragm under such condition would beslightly spaced orireefromengagement otthe upper end ofthe valve follower 12 and the valvewould beheld ,closed by the combined pressure of the steam and thespring 18. .i i

Having described my invention, l claim:

. l; A- valvefor a 'force feed lub-ricatcr sys tem, the valvecontrolling the discharge o'if lubricant under the pressure for deliveryinte a steam cylinder or the like, comprising, valve body formed with anoil chamber having a valve control restricted discharge port, a steamchamber, and a movable spring pressed abutment normally exposed to thepressure of the steam in the steam chamber for closing said valve undera predetermined pressure when said abutment is not influenced by thepressure in said steam chamber.

2. In a terminal checlr valve, a valve body,- a diaphragm structuredividing said body into a liuid pressure chamber and an oil Vpressurechamber, the oil chamber having a valve controlled and restricteddischarge port, a valve operatively connected with said diaphragmstructure to close said discharge port, thek parts being so associatedthat the oil pressure tends to open said valve and the iuid pressure toclose said valve, a second diaphragm structure within the bodyinfluenced by the pressure in said iluid press sure chamber and under acounter-pressure for operating the said iirst diaphragm struc ture forclosing said valve under a. pre-determined pressure when prevailing overthe pressure in said fluid pressure chamber.

3. In a terminal check valve for controlling the discharge of lubricantunder a pre-determined pressure, a valvebody iformed with a lubricantchamber having a valve controlled and restricted discharge port, a fluidpressure chamber in said body, a valve for closing said port exposed torelatively opposing sures in said lubricant and fluid pressure chambers,with the pressure in said fluid chamber closing said valve until thepressure in said oil chamber prevails over the iluid pressure whichopens the valve, and tension means for closing said valve under apre-determined pressure inedective when the pressure in said fluidpressure chamber prevails over the valve closing pressure of saidtension means.

4. In a terminal check valve ier controlling the discharge oi' lubricantunder a pre-determined pressure, a valve body formed with a lubricantchamber having a valve controlled and restricted discharge port, a iiuidpressure chamber in said body, a diaphragm suspended valve Jfor closingsaid port the diapl'iragm exposed to relatively opposing pressures insaid lubricant and fluid pressure chambers,

the pressure in the lubrican'J chamber opening the Valve, and thepressure in the fluid pressure chamber closing the Valve, when thepressure in the one prevails over the other, and tension means includinga diaphragm inluenced by the pressure n said fluid pressure chamber forclosing said valve under a pre-determined pressure When the pressure ofsaid tension means prevails over the counter-pressure in said fluidpressure chamber.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name.

W EARL SNYDER.

